Altoona Curve Game Information: May 3, 2013
Published on May 3, 2013 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
ABOUT YESTERDAY...: Akron's Danny Salazar (2-3) established a career-high with 12 strikeouts as he and the Aeros zoomed past Altoona, 4-1, on Thursday afternoon. Salazar, along with Austin Adams, Bryan Price and Jose Flores, combined to strike out 17 Curve batters in total on Thursday, which was a new franchise record for the Curve. Salazar only allowed one hit and it came off the bat of DH Adalberto Santos in the fifth inning. Prior to that point, Salazar had set down all 12 Curve batters he faced through the first four innings. It was Santos starting the rally that saw the Curve produce their only run of the day in the seventh when he doubled with one away. It was Jarek Cunningham's ball through the legs of Kyle Bellows at third two batters later that allowed him to score the Curve's only run. Altoona starter Jameson Taillon (2-3) gave up two runs on four hits in the first inning before settling in for the remainder of the day. He registered a quality start in total, going six innings and striking out six. He gave up one earned run on three hits over his final five innings on Thursday.
CURVE/SEAWOLVES SERIES: This trip to Erie's Jerry Uht Park is the second of the season for the Curve and the sec- ond of three trips that the Curve make to Erie in 2013. Altoona opened up the series in Erie and split the four-game series. After this visit, the Curve do not return to Erie until the middle of August (Aug. 16-18).
FOR ALTOONA: Making his first start of the season on Friday night for the Curve will be RHP Ethan Hollingsworth, who was acquired by the Pirates this past offseason in the Rule 5 draft from Kansas City. Hollingsworth, 25, has ap- peared exclusively out of the bullpen for Altoona so far this season, making six appearances and amassing an ERA of 4.50 with a record of 0-1. Hollingsworth is no stranger to starting having done so for a majority of his minor league career up until 2012. Last season with Omaha (AAA) and Northwest Arkansas (AA), Hollingsworth appeared in 34 games while making eight starts in his first season with more appearances out of the 'pen than as a starter. His most successful season as a starter came in the Rockies organization back in 2010 with Modesto (A), where he was 12-8 with a 3.31 ERA and 153 strikeouts in 160.1 innings pitched. For more on Hollingsworth, see page two.
FOR ERIE: RHP Patrick Cooper heads to the mound for Erie in the series opener on Friday night looking to avenge his only two losses of the season that have both come at the hands of the Curve. Cooper, 23, was the tough-luck loser last time out versus the Curve at Peoples Natural Gas Field on Sunday when he went up against Charlie Morton. Cooper lasted a season-high 6.2 innings and gave up just two runs on five hits (both season-lows) while striking out four in an eventual, 3-1, loss. His other loss on the season came to Altoona back on April 5, which was his first start of the season. In two starts at Jerry Uht Park this season, Cooper has an ERA of 7.56 and an opponent batting aver- age against of .410.
TAKE TO THE PITCH: Altoona enters play on Friday with the best staff ERA in the 12-team Eastern League at 3.69. They've allowed the second-fewest amount of runs in the league (108) and the fourth-fewest amount of hits (223).
I GOT MY SWAGGER BACK: Third baseman Adalberto Santos returned off the Altoona disabled list on Tuesday night and drew a pair of walks in his first game action since April 15. The Bronx, N.Y. native had been sidelined with a left hip strain and is the first member of the Curve team to return from the DL this season. With a pair of hits in the loss on Thursday morning/afternoon, Santos has now reached base safely in all 12 games he's played in. He's hit safely in all but four of the 12 games as well.
REMEMBER SAMMY JENKIS: Altoona will look to have a quick short-term memory lapse to forget about the 17-strikeout day that occurred on Thursday. The 17 strikeouts by Aeros pitching established a new franchise record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game, passing the old mark of 16 which was set back on August 13, 2008 at Port- land.
WELL, MR. ALDERSON...: Reliever Tim Alderson pitched a scoreless inning on Wednesday night and lowered his season ERA to 1.42. In his six appearances this season, opponents have hit just .100 off him in 40 at bats. He's allowed an earned run in just one of six relief outings this season while striking out 16 in 12.2 innings pitched.
WILL I BE GETTING AN INHERITANCE?: Reliever Nate Baker came in to the game in the eighth inning on Tuesday night and was able to strand the bases loaded after inheriting three runners from Kenn Kasparek. This season, Baker has inherited six total baserunners and stranded all six. As a staff, the bullpen has inherited 26 baserunners so far this season and only three have been allowed to score (11.5%).
THEY'RE GOING TO WISH THEY HAD A STOLM WARNING: Curve starter Stolmy Pimentel continued his dominant run to start the 2013 season, which is his first in the Pirates organization. Pimentel has made five starts for the Curve thus far and allowed just one total run in 30.1 innings pitched for an ERA of 0.30. That ERA is second-best in all of Major League or Minor League baseball behind Memphis' John Gast, who has yet to allow a run of any kind in five starts (29.2 IP) for the Redbirds. Pimentel has pitched in 0.2 innings more than Gast and allowed one fewer hit across his five starts to open the season. With Pimentel's seven scoreless on Monday, he now extends his scoreless inning's streak to 17 innings dating back to April 18 in Harrisburg. The only run the San Cristobal, D.R. native allowed this season came with one out in the first inning of that start.
Eastern League Stories from May 3, 2013
- Thunder Pitching Wins It Again, 3-1 at Richmond - Trenton Thunder
- SeaWolves Take Down Curve 6-3 - Erie SeaWolves
- Glenn's 3 RBI's Power Fisher Cats Past Phils 8-5 - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- Thunder Grab Opener from Squirrels, 3-1 - Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Curve Smash Two Homers But Fall to 'Wolves, 6-3 - Altoona Curve
- Key Hit Eludes B-Mets, Late Rally Falls Short, 3-1 - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Baysox Cruise by Aeros in Series Opener, 8-2 - Akron RubberDucks
- Baysox Pound Aeros Again - Chesapeake Baysox
- Portland earns 5-4 walk-off win over New Britain - Portland Sea Dogs
- Erie SeaWolves vs. Altoona Curve - Game Notes - Erie SeaWolves
- Altoona Curve Game Information: May 3, 2013 - Altoona Curve
- Reliever Kelvin Perez Promoted to Triple-A - Trenton Thunder
- C A.J. Jimenez activated from DL - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
- B-Mets Game Notes: Game #29 - B-Mets (14-13) at Harrisburg Senators (13-14) - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Sea Dogs Game Notes May 3 vs. New Britain - Portland Sea Dogs
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